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Illustrator help with pen tool


agentmoeller

agentmoeller

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Hoping someone knows the answer to this.

I am drawing an object in Ai (#1), I continue to draw the shape (#2), then I click on the anchor point, so I can bring the line back to create a crescent shape (#3). when I click to create a new anchor point, my outline (blue shape lines and anchor points) disappear. Now I have to guess to create new anchor points.

I have View Edges turned on.

Any ideas?
 

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I can't see too clearly but it appears you are starting a new path, rather than continuing the existing path, hence the original path is not visible. Check your layers panel to verify.
If you want the last point to go another direction use the Convert Anchor Point tool to drag the upper handle down in the direction you want the path to go, then continue the path.
 

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Last edited:
Very difficult to show the problem in still frames. I am drawing one shape - one continuous line. But when I click on an anchor point to change direction, the outline for the shape I am creating disappears. I can only see my full line/shape if it has a stroke.
 
If you were continuing the path it would affect the fill, something like this:
 

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In the illustration, I hadn't started sending the path back yet. But the blue outline of my shape had already disappeared. It appears the only way to keep the line visible is to add a stroke, even if I don't want one when I'm finished.
 
Illustration #3 shows a new point and handles like my last example, so it should affect the fill. But you know what you are experiencing. Let me know if you work it out.
 
I think it appears like that because I did a screen shot before letting go of the mouse button. The fill shape hasn't yet conformed to the new anchor point.


See below. Hope this is clearer.
 

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Thanks guys.

VIEW>OUTLINE works, but then I have to toggle back to regular view to see my object.

Unfortunately, VIEW>SHOW EDGES doesn't help.

Seems like the easiest solution is to add a stroke, then just delete it later as needed.

Thanks for the help.


By the way, it is still incredibly abrious fr meto tape in this forum on my work computr. I started a threa about it a whle ago. I can't cpy/paste from another source and I hve togo back an correct so everything.

self-corrected version:
By the way, it is still incredibly laborious for me to type in this forum on my work computer. I started a thread about it a while ago. I can't copy/paste from another source and I have to go back and correct everything.
 
agentmoeller said:
...Thanks guys.....VIEW>OUTLINE works...
Click to expand...
No worries.


agentmoeller said:
...but then I have to toggle back to regular view to see my object...
Click to expand...
ALL objects should be visible as an outline....only strokes and fills are hidden.

You can't be saying that using a shortcut to toggle between the two states is too taxing for you...are you? :biglaff:

If so, Illustrator is NOT for you!

Joking aside, that's just how it works, or more precisely how its been written on the basis that this is what the end user, (According to Adobe), would want it to do....hmmmm.

You can kind of see their logic though, I mean why would you want to create just a path if its neither stroked nor filled?

I guess their thinking is that eventually the end user would always want to stroke it or fill it anyway so this scenario would never be an issue....the end user would set up the stroke and / or fill before starting to create the path.

I agree with you that there are circumstances where it would be nice to just create a path without anything getting in the way.....and for those times there is the 'View Outline' option.

Paths in Illustrator work completely differently to those in PS, where creating a path is used for many things, not just stroking and filling.

I'm assuming, (Because of the issue raised), that paths in Illustrator are not used for anything else than stroking or filling but that really is just an assumption.

Best I can do I'm afraid.

Regards.
MrToM.
 
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